


In Space, No One Can Hear Your Obsessive-Compulsive Patterns

by tinytardismilkshake



Category: Wolf 359 (Radio)
Genre: Gen, and my first wolf 359 fic, eiffel has ocd, hey my first multi-chapter fic, i wrote most of this a few days before the finale, i'm going to continue to ignore that ending until i can write a proper fix-it, takes place in or before season 1, this is literally my ocd on eiffel
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-20
Updated: 2018-07-15
Packaged: 2019-04-25 11:51:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 771
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14378070
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tinytardismilkshake/pseuds/tinytardismilkshake
Summary: It turns out being in space does not make everything more fun.





	1. Hera

Doug Eiffel had not told the other crew members that he had OCD. Why would he? It wasn't that big of a deal. Most of his tics could easily be dismissed as fidgeting, and intrusive thoughts weren't exactly a great icebreaker. Plus, he'd be in space. Everything is better in space.

Everything was not better in space.

Living on this spaceship was a huge break in Eiffel's routine. He had been looking forward to that since he didn't exactly love what he was doing before, but it turns out that was still stressful. And stress leads to, you guessed it, worse symptoms.

There was this one room on the station with two light switches on opposite walls, controlling the same light. Those light switch setups were the bane of his existence before, but they were more tolerable when not coinciding with wondering whether the temperature regulation would break today or what number of things could possibly go wrong resulting in a fiery torturous death. He was pacing the room, flipping switches on and off both to see what combination was more bearable and for repetition's sake.

Suddenly, he heard Hera's voice. “Eiffel?”

Doug jumped. He still wasn't convinced that she couldn't read minds. “What, Hera?”

“You’ve been pacing back and forth across the room for three minutes, and you’re looking very nervous. Is something wrong?”

“Is-” He hesitated. “Is there any way both light switches can be up when the light is on and down when the light is off? Or can the one on my side at least always be right?”

“R-right? What’s wrong with the switches? Which one is 'your side'?” Hera didn't sound angry, but she did sound perplexed.

“It just- it just bugs me. Never mind. You wouldn’t understand.” She was a supercomputer. Even if she could read his mind, she would probably think he was being ridiculous. Which he was, but that didn't make it any easier.

Eiffel decided to suck it up and go to the comms room to distract himself.


	2. Minkowski

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, it's the Minkowski chapter! I bet you thought this story was abandoned.

Doug Eiffel's desk was cluttered. That was normal, wasn't it? A few empty space-food containers never killed anyone. In fact, it was the sign of a mad genius at work.

Except he knew he wasn't. Genius, or at work. He knew there was an incinerator where the trash was supposed to go, and he knew it would be easy to take his containers there, but he couldn't just get rid of them. Once they were gone, they were gone forever. Rationally he knew that trash was trash and keeping it didn't do any good, but the feeling lingered.

"Eiffel, your desk is a mess," Minkowski huffed as she inspected his work space. "You know we have an incinerator for a reason, right?"

"Yes, commander," Eiffel sighed. She was right. "I'll... get around to it."

"What's the holdup? It's not like you've been very busy." Wow, way to rub it in.

"Yeah. But don't you ever think about how you can't get things back once they're thrown away? We're in the cold dark vacuum of space with very few creature comforts to hold onto."

" _This_ is a creature comfort?" she replied, holding up a days-old empty instant-coffee bag.

"It's the memory of one?" Eiffel really didn't want to sound as weird as he felt.

"Just take it out. I want this workspace clean by tomorrow."

"Yes, commander."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun fact: OCD doesn't always make you more organized. :-/
> 
> I have this problem due to a mix of OCD and executive dysfunction, and one trick I've found helpful is keeping a trash bag right next to my workspace so that I still "have it" but it's easier to take out when it's full. There might be better ways, but that works for me.


	3. Hilbert

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter has a content warning for thoughts of violence involving sharp objects.

Doug Eiffel eyed the scalpel on Hilbert's desk. It was sharp. That sure could hurt someone if he wasn't careful. He wasn't even touching it, but Doug couldn't get the image out of his head of his demon finally taking over and killing someone. But he knew that's not how OCD works. Intrusive thoughts happen _because_ they contradict your morals. It still scared him.

"Eiffel?" Hilbert said, startling Doug from his thoughts. "You look worried. You wouldn't happen to be thinking about what could go wrong with that blade, would you, Eiffel?"

Doug gulped. "You're not a psychic, are you? That would be-"

"Your worst nightmare, yes. No, I do not read minds, but I think you and I understand each other more than we'd like to admit." Hilbert didn't seem to want to elaborate, but Doug noticed a hint of sincerity in his expression.

"You too, huh?" Doug didn't elaborate either.

"I've... done some reading. I learned this about me a few years before takeoff, and watching you around the station..." Hilbert didn't like admitting weakness, so this was huge.

Doug didn't want to press him. "Yeah. This will be between us, okay? Thanks for getting it."

"Very good," said Hilbert. "Now let's get back to work."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading my story! I hope you liked it, because I enjoyed writing it. Check me out on Tumblr at tinytardismilkshake.tumblr.com or tinywritingmilkshake.tumblr.com !

**Author's Note:**

> I have at least one more chapter planned. There is a Hilbert chapter for sure, and maybe a Minkowski chapter before that. The story takes place entirely during/before season one.


End file.
